Seal-lock.



No. 704,i07. Patented July 8,1902. 0. J. REYNOLDS.

SEAL LOCK.

(Apphcution filed Oct. 2, 1901.)

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet I.

M5555; JsHTmaz/lg NITED STATES PATENT Orrrce.

CHARLES J. REYNOLDS, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

SEAL-LOCK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 704,107, dated July 8,1902,

Application filed October 2, 1901. Serial No. 7'7 322. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES J. REYNOLDS, a citizen of the United States,residing in Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts,have invented certain new and useful-Improvements in Seal-Locks, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention relates to seal-locks, such as are adapted particularlyfor application to freight-cars, although I propose to use the lock inany connection in which it may he of service. In using the lock inconnection with freight-cars it is preferably rigidly attached to thecar; but it may be attached in a nonrigid manner, if desired, as bymeans of a chain, for example.

The invention or improvement is of that class in which a seal(preferably metallic) extends from a portion of the device which isattached to the door of the car to another portion which is secured tothe jamb or body of the car, and the car is opened legitimately byunlocking the latch and then pulling the door open, and thereby severingthe seal by cutting it. A thief or other unauthorized person attemptingto enter the car must first break the latch and afterward break theseal.

The principal objects of the invention are to prevent an unauthorizedperson from unlocking the lock and entering the car without breaking theseal,.to prevent such a person from entering the car without breaking aportion of the lock itself, to prevent any possibility of the lock beingpicked, to prevent the seal from being withdrawn, and to produce inother respects an economical, simple, operative, and efficient seal-lockparticularly adapted for application to freight-cars.

The nature of the invention is fully described below and illustrated inthe accompanying drawings, in which-- Figure l is a front view of myimproved seal-lock applied to a freight-car and in a locked positionthereon. Fig. 2 is aplan view of the same. Fig. 3 is a horizontalsection taken centrally through the device and the seal. Fig. a is anenlarged section in detail taken on line 4, Fig. 5; Fig. 5 is a crossvertical section taken centrally through the por tion of the devicewhich is attached to the jamb. Fig. 6 is a front view of the rear platemaking a part of that portion of the device which is attached to thedoor. Fig. 7 is an inside or rear view of the front plate.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

0: represents the door of a freight-car, and b the jamb.

A represents the rear plate, which lies horizontally next to the outersurface of the door a, and B is the front plate, which lies against andupon the rear plate and corresponds in shape therewith. The two platesare secured to the door by means of suitable bolts 0, which extendthrough corresponding openings cl (1' in the plates. Through theopenings 6 e a bolt or pivot 0 extends, and on this pivot swings a latchD, said latch swinging between the rear plate A, which may be recessedat A, Fig. 2, for the purpose, and the door a. This latch is provided atits free end with the handle D and with the rearwardly-extendinghook-shaped projection D", inwardly notched or recessedat D (see Fig.4B) for the purpose below described.

The rear plate A is provided with the 1ongitudinal groove E, havingparallel sides, as shown. The bottom or floor of this groove is deepesttoward the center and at the opposite ends slopes up or forward at E andE, as shown in Fig. 3, until at the opposite ends the front and rearopenings produced by the shallow depth of the groovebetween the rear andfront plates are only deep enough to re ceive the seal S, which extendsalong said groove in a folded condition,as shown in Fig. 3. The thickportion E of the floor of the groove is longer than the thick portion Eand extends farther toward the center of the groove. The groove isprovided vcentrally with a longitudinally-placed forward spur F,parallel with the sides of the groove, the rear end F of this spur beingat right angles with the floor of the groove and its surface F, slopinggradually inward and forward toward the rear end of the thickenedportion E. The front plate B has no groove and is provided on its rearsurface with a rearward spur H, somewhat similar in shape to the spur F.This spur H is opposite the rear portion of the incline E, has itssurface H sloping gradually toward the front end of the plate B, andwith its rear edge H cut at right angles to the surface of said plate.Between the spur H and the rear end of the plate B its rear surface isprovided with a long shoe or protuberance I, sloping up or rearwardgradually from its forward end and with its rear end I cut oif at rightangles, as shown. and the shoe I have their rear ends at substantiallyright angles with the surfaces of the plates from which they extend. Theouter plate B is provided between the spur H and its forward or innerend-that is, the end toward the jamb-with an opening J, preferablyglazed and of length and shape to exhibit the seal and the charactersthereon when said seal is in position. Preferably the forward or innerends of the two plates are flared apart a little at A and B, thusslightly broadening the mouth.

Secured by suitable bolts ff to the jamb b is a plate K. This plate hasthe outer surface of its central portion grooved horizontally at K, andthe rear surface is correspondingly grooved at K. These grooves are ofsuch a shape or incline as to bring the outer edge L of the centralportion of the plate to a sharp knife-edge, as shown in Fig. 3. The sealS is bent centrally around this knife-edge, and each of the folds thusproduced is provided with two slots S and S, the two slots 5 registeringand the two slots S registering when the seal is folded and the spur Hextending through the two slots S and the spur F extending through thetwo slots S, all as indicated in Fig. 3. The bolt f is rotative and hasfixed upon it between the upper portion of the plate K and the jamb b(said plate being recessed at for the purpose) a camshaped lock P,provided with a locking projection or cam P. This cam-shaped lock can berotated toward and from the stop B, Fig. 4, by applying a suitable toolto the head of the bolt f, which is recessed at f for the purpose.

' As above stated, the lock is shown in the drawings in a lockedposition. This is accomplished by folding the seal S centrally aroundthecentral portion of the plate K and inserting the ends of the sealinto the mouth formed by the flared portion A and B and pushing saidends along over the thickened portion E and along the groove E over andbetween the spurs H and F and over the shallow shoe I until the spur Hextends through the two registering openings S. The spur F extendsthrough the two registering openings S, and the ends of the folded sealare near the rear end of the groove E, as indicated in Figs. 1 and 3.After this has been done the latch D is swung down and the lock or camportion P swung up by rotating the lock P into the position indicated inFig 4, said camshaped portion P extending into the recess D above thehooked end D of the latch. The device is then securely locked, and theseal shows its projecting marks through the window J To unlock thedevice, the pivotbolt f is rotated, by means of a suitable tool fittinginto the recesses f of the head, until The spurs F and H the portion Pstrikes the stop R. The latchis then lifted by means of the handle D,and the door a is slid quickly away from the jamb Z), with the resultthat the cutting edge L of the portion K quickly severs the seal S,which moves rearward in the plates A B as the door slides and can beeasily removed by pushing it rearwardly along the groove and out at therear edge of the plates between the thickened portion E and the outerplate B.

Should a thief or other unauthorized person endeavor to open the door,he must first break the latch D and then break the seal, as the sealcannot possibly slip along the recess and out at the front or inner endof the.

plates, inasmuch as it is securely locked by the spurs H and F in theslots S S. Should an attempt be made to pick the look by inserting aninstrument into the groove E from the rear end and pressing up the seal,the spur or bolt F holds it by means of the slots S. Should the operatorbe successful in pressing forward the seal, the spur or bolt H retainsit by means of the slots S. The shoe or protuberance I, however, makesit practically impossible that an instrument should be inserted in sucha manner as to press the seal out of engagement with the spur or lock F,said protuberance tending to force the seal into the groove and its endI preventing the easy insertion of a picking instrument. The doubleinclines F H, the incline I, and the inclines of the thickened portionsE and E all tend to make the picking of the look by inserting aninstrument at either end so difiicult as to be, it is believed,practically impossible.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-- 1. In aseal lock of the characterdescribed, the bottom orrear plate A provided with theinwardly-extending spur F, F, F; and the upper or front plate B providedwith the inwardly-extending spur H, H, H, said plates facing each otherand secured together and IIO provided with a passage between them forthe seal, and the said plate B being furthermore provided with theinwardly-extending shoe I, I between the spur F, F, Fandthe outer orrear ends of the plates, whereby a double protection is provided bypressing the seal toward the plate A and preventing the passage of athin piece of metal into the lock, substantially as set forth.

2. In a seal-lock of the character described,

the bottom or rear plate A provided with the inwardly-extending spur F,F, F"; and the upper or front plate B provided with theinwardly-extending spur H, H, H, said plates facing each other andsecured together and provided with a passage between them for the seal,said plate A being formed on its inner surface with the groove E havinga straight or level bottom, and located between the spur F, F, F and therear end of said plate A, and the plate B being provided on its innersurface with the shoe 1, 1 extending up into said groove in the oppositeplate, whereby the seal is pressed toward the straight surface formed bysaid groove, and the passage of a Wire or piece of metal inserted at therear end of the device beyond said shoe is prevented, substantially asdescribed.

3. In aseal-lock of the character described, locking-plates adapted tobe secured to the door of a freight-car; a plate adapted to be securedto the jamb thereof; a strip or seal as S adapted to extend from theplate on the jamb and be engaged by the locking-plates; the cam-lock P,P; a rotative bolt upon name to this specification in the presence of 25two subscribing Witnesses.

CHARLES J. REYNOLDS.

Witnesses:

HENRY W. WILLIAMS, A. N. BONNEY.

